Technical Field
The present invention relates to a method for producing a fuel cell electrode.
Background Art
A fuel cell is a cell in which a fuel and an oxidant are supplied to two electrically-connected electrodes to electrochemically oxidize the fuel, thereby converting chemical energy directly to electrical energy. Accordingly, it is not limited by the Carnot cycle and shows high energy conversion efficiency. A fuel cell generally includes a stack of fuel cells, each having a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) as the basic structure, which is composed of a pair of electrodes and an electrolyte membrane sandwiched therebetween.
Platinum and platinum alloy materials have been used as the electrode catalyst of a fuel electrode (anode electrode) and an oxidant electrode (cathode electrode) in a fuel cell. However, since platinum is expensive, there have been attempts to reduce the amount of platinum used as the catalyst, by use of platinum in combination with an inexpensive material.
Of such attempts, a fuel cell catalyst in which platinum-metal oxide composite particles are carried on an electroconductive carrier, has attracted attention as a fuel cell electrode catalyst. For example, an electrode catalyst for polymer electrolyte fuel cells is disclosed in Patent Literature 1, which is composed of composite particles made of platinum or a platinum-containing noble metal alloy and a metal oxide other than noble metals, and which is used for the air electrode of a polymer electrolyte fuel cell that includes a membrane electrode assembly composed of a solid polymer electrolyte membrane, which is permeable to protons, and fuel and air electrodes, each of which includes a catalyst layer containing an electrode catalyst.
Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-134613